Public campaigns and other policy instruments can significantly influence consumer behavior and contribute to a reduction of consumer food waste. However, there are only very few studies that have evaluated to what extent policy interventions actually reduced or prevented food waste. The REFRESH Policy brief summarizes REFRESH findings on consumer behaviour as well as related research results and derives policy recommendations to reduce consumer food waste. The policy brief is based on the REFRESH report "Policies against consumer food waste: Policy options for behaviour change including public campaigns".Read more

This report translates the findings of the REFRESH project on consumer behaviour into policy recommendations. It helps national and regional policy makers in designing and improving appropriate interventions against food waste. It focus on policy instruments that aim to reduce consumer food waste including in-home and out-of-home consumption.Read more

Retailers play an essential role in shaping product decisions via their own business choices—choices regarding which suppliers to work with, what items to stock, how to manage supply-chain operations, what information to provide to consumers, as well as how their own brand identity and market positioning will relate to sustainability. Retailers thus occupy a unique position in the product value chain, being intermediaries between producers and consumers, with considerable influence on which goods we enjoy as consumers, the means by which they come to us and the long chain of impacts related to our purchasing decisions.Read more

How is the Paris Agreement relevant for people active in the building sector? What can and should architects, energy consultants, or installers contribute to achieving the goals of this international climate agreement? Dr. Camilla Bausch of Ecologic Institute tried to bridge the gap between the international and the local level before 500 experts in her Keynote Address at the 20th annual conference "Herbstforum Altbau" in Stuttgart (Germany).Read more

Public campaigns and other policy instruments can significantly influence consumer behavior and contribute to a reduction of consumer food waste. The REFRESH Policy Workshop "Public campaigns and other policy options for behaviour change" discussed the findings of REFRESH work on consumer behaviour and policy recommendations with regard to reducing consumer food waste. Based on a detailed report and policy brief developed by the Ecologic Institute, the workshop provided ideas and inspirations for EU and national policy makers in designing appropriate interventions against consumer food waste. The workshop took place on 19 November 2018 in the German Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Berlin. The background report, policy brief, workshop minutes, agenda and presentation are available for download.Read more

In June 2017, the EU Commission adopted the new EU One Health Action Plan to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The "One Health" approach which lies at the basis of the Action Plan is centred on an integrative management of health risks; it leaves aside a purely human or veterinary approach in favor of a more holistic one which includes the environment. In this context, the UBA (Umweltbundesamt Deutschland) has prepared a background paper which presents various options for action in the areas of use prevention, entry and disposal of antibiotics. UBA supports the overarching objective of the EU One Health Action Plan, against the background of growing problems with antibiotic resistance, of maintaining the possibility of effective infection treatment in humans and animals.Read more

Which trends and developments characterise the energy system? How are digital technologies and data-based business models changing the energy system? What challenges do different actors face? These questions are the subject of a short study written by the Ecologic Institute on behalf of the Heinrich Böll Foundation.Read more

BIOBRIDGES's overall aim is to ensure the marketability of sustainable bio-based products by establishing primary partnerships between bio-based industries, brand owners and consumer representatives in cooperation with other stakeholders like local communities, local authorities and industrial actors. The ambition is to create at least two new cross-sector interconnections in bio-based economy clusters.Read more

This paper formulates recommendations for action for policy makers to promote sustainable food systems in Germany and identifies open research needs. Stephanie Wunder and Dr. Martin Hirschnitz-Garbers of Ecologic Institute contributed to this. The results paper is available for download.Read more

Challenges and potential ways forward in implementing co-creation in European research and innovation funding

This policy brief explores and explains the concept and rational of co-creation, both as a general concept as well as in the specific context of sustainability science. Furthermore, it takes a detailed look at its use and potential in the framework of European research & innovation funding. On this basis, it identifies a number of lessons learned with regard to the application of the concept and puts forward concrete policy recommendations. The RECREATE policy brief, written by Ecologic Institute's Dr. Martin Hirschnitz-Garbers, is available for download.Read more